Genesis 31:42

31:42 If the God of my father – the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears ¹  – had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, ²  and he rebuked you last night.”

Exodus 3:21

3:21 “I will grant this people favor with ³  the Egyptians, so that when ⁴  you depart you will not leave empty-handed.

Leviticus 25:42-44

25:42 Since they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale. ⁵  25:43 You must not rule over him harshly, ⁶  but you must fear your God.

25:44 “‘As for your male and female slaves ⁷  who may belong to you – you may buy male and female slaves from the nations all around you. ⁸ 

Proverbs 3:27-28

Wisdom Demonstrated in Relationships with People

3:27 Do not withhold good from those who need it, ⁹ 

when ¹⁰  you ¹¹  have the ability ¹²  to help. ¹³ 

3:28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go! Return tomorrow

and I will give it,” when ¹⁴  you have it with you at the time. ¹⁵ 

Jeremiah 22:13

Judgment on Jehoiakim

22:13 “‘Sure to be judged ¹⁶  is the king who builds his palace using injustice

and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. ¹⁷ 

He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing.

He does not pay them for their labor.

Malachi 3:5

3:5 “I ¹⁸  will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, ¹⁹  and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, ²⁰  who refuse to help ²¹  the immigrant ²²  and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Colossians 4:1

4:1 Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

[31:42]  ¹ tn Heb “the fear of Isaac,” that is, the one whom Isaac feared and respected. For further discussion of this title see M. Malul, “More on pahad yitschaq (Gen. 31:42,53) and the Oath by the Thigh,” VT 35 (1985): 192-200.

[31:42]  ² tn Heb “My oppression and the work of my hands God saw.”

[3:21]  ³ tn Heb “in the eyes of.” This idiom usually means that someone will be treated well by the observer. It is unlikely that it means here that the Egyptians will like the Hebrews. Rather, it means that the Egyptians will give things to the Hebrews free – gratis (see 12:35-36). Not only will God do mighty works to make the king yield, but also he will work in the minds of the Egyptian people so that they will be favorably disposed to give Israel wealth.

[3:21]  ⁴ tn The temporal indicator (here future) with the particle ki (וְהָיָה כִּי, vÿhaya ki) introduces a temporal clause.

[25:42]  ⁵ tn Or perhaps reflexive Niphal rather than passive, “they shall not sell themselves [as in] a slave sale.”

[25:43]  ⁶ tn Heb “You shall not rule in him in violence”; cf. NASB “with severity”; NIV “ruthlessly.”

[25:44]  ⁷ tn Heb “And your male slave and your female slave.” Smr has these as plural terms, “slaves,” not singular.

[25:44]  ⁸ tn Heb “ from the nations which surround you, from them you shall buy male slave and female slave.”

[3:27]  ⁹ tn The MT has “from its possessors” and the LXX simply has “from the poor.” C. H. Toy (Proverbs [ICC], 77) suggests emending the text to read “neighbors” (changing בְּעָלָיו [be’alav] to רֵעֶיךָ, re’ekha) but that is gratuitous. The idea can be explained as being those who need to possess it, or as BDB 127 s.v. בַּעַל has it with an objective genitive, “the owner of it” = the one to whom it is due.

[3:27]  ¹⁰ tn The infinitive construct with preposition ב (bet) introduces a temporal clause: “when….”

[3:27]  ¹¹ tc The form יָדֶיךָ (yadekha) is a Kethib/Qere reading. The Kethib is the dual יָדֶיךָ (“your hands”) and the Qere is the singular יָדְךָ (yadÿkha, “your hand”). Normally the Qere is preferred because it represents an alternate textual tradition that the Masoretes viewed as superior to the received text.

[3:27]  ¹² tn Heb “it is to the power of your hand.” This expression is idiomatic for “it is in your power” or “you have the ability” (Gen 31:29; Deut 28:23; Neh 5:5; Mic 2:1). The noun אֵל (’el) means “power” (BDB 43 s.v. 7), and יָד (yad, “hand”) is used figuratively to denote “ability” (BDB 390 s.v. 2). Several translations render this as “when it is in your power to do it” (KJV, RSV, NRSV, NASB) or “when it is in your power to act” (NIV). W. McKane suggests, “when it is in your power to confer it” (Proverbs [OTL], 215).

[3:27]  ¹³ tn Heb “to do [it]” (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[3:28]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and it is with you.” The prefixed vav introduces a circumstantial clause: “when …”

[3:28]  ¹⁵ tn The words “at the time” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[22:13]  ¹⁶ sn Heb “Woe.” This particle is used in laments for the dead (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 13:30; Jer 34:5) and as an introductory particle in indictments against a person on whom judgment is pronounced (cf., e.g., Isa 5:8, 11; Jer 23:1). The indictment is found here in vv. 13-17 and the announcement of judgment in vv. 18-19.

[22:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “Woe to the one who builds his house by unrighteousness and its upper rooms with injustice using his neighbor [= countryman] as a slave for nothing and not giving to him his wages.”

[3:5]  ¹⁸ tn The first person pronoun (a reference to the Lord) indicates that the Lord himself now speaks (see also v. 1). The prophet speaks in vv. 2-4 (see also 2:17).

[3:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “those who swear [oaths] falsely.” Cf. NIV “perjurers”; TEV “those who give false testimony”; NLT “liars.”

[3:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and against the oppressors of the worker for a wage, [the] widow and orphan.”

[3:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “those who turn aside.”

[3:5]  ²² tn Or “resident foreigner”; NIV “aliens”; NRSV “the alien.”